Portfolio / Michael Gaillard Studio Sign

For his gallery and project space on the island of Nantucket, Michael Gaillard asked us to fabricate a sign that would blend in with the historic character and subdued aesthetic of the area, while still remaining legible from the sidewalk during evening hours when business would be at its peak. Walnut was selected for the panel with a light paint for the surface. Engraving text in a dark wood such as walnut would provide a strong contrast with the painted surface.

Gaillard wanted the sign to fit within a single pane of the gallery window. At that scale, the modern typeface he chose would be extremely difficult to reproduce using traditional carving techniques. The scale and precision needed to reproduce the text given the thin strokes and square terminals were what led Gaillard to us for laser engraving.

Final Installation by Michael Gaillard. Images of the finished sign in the gallery window by Heather Prohaska, Copyright © 2016.